West Michigan Works! recently announced the release of its “2017 Hot Jobs List,” which contains 100 high-demand careers in the region’s top growing industries: construction, manufacturing, information technology, health sciences, agriculture and professional and administrative services.
The Hot Jobs Lists provides a regional look at in-demand occupations; those with significant openings today, that are expected to see considerable growth and that lead to self-sufficiency through living wages and opportunities for advancement. To create the list, West Michigan Works! gathers state labor market information and data from job analytic programs. The data is then presented to employers for feedback and insight into regional hiring needs that creates a true representation of what is going on regionally.
Because of its West Michigan focus, the Hot Jobs List serves as a decision-making guide for many regional organizations.
“At Muskegon Community College we appreciate the Hot Jobs! List as it demonstrates the openings in our training fields and points us to emerging job titles to incorporate into our programs. We like the regional outlook as it matches our career placement region; we know that we are giving relevant information and guidance to students.”
-Dan Rinsema-Sybenga, Dean of Academic Affairs at Muskegon Community College
West Michigan Works! uses the list internally to guide job seekers at various points in their journey: when they come into the service center to validate for unemployment, the list serves as a starting point for their job search; in tandem with the online career exploration site O*Net, staff use the list to match their transferable skills with high-demand careers; and if they are eligible for training, the list determines which occupations they could receive training funds for.
“We’re grateful to the many partners that provide input into the Hot Jobs List. Because it starts with credible state labor market data and then receives intense scrutiny from our regional industry councils and employers, we are confident that the list provides solid guidance for students, job seekers and our workforce partners.”
– Jacob Maas, CEO of West Michigan Works!